Maternity
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Maternity
I'm interested to hear what maternity pay is provided by different companies and for how long.
Being the higher earner in our family I'm surprised at how low the government statutory pay is (£117 per week). My company pays 90% for 6 weeks and then it's down to statutory pay. But I don't think it's healthy for the baby to stop breastfeeding at 6 weeks and it's not very good if the mother has to return to work after just 6 weeks' maternity.
Any thoughts?
Being the higher earner in our family I'm surprised at how low the government statutory pay is (£117 per week). My company pays 90% for 6 weeks and then it's down to statutory pay. But I don't think it's healthy for the baby to stop breastfeeding at 6 weeks and it's not very good if the mother has to return to work after just 6 weeks' maternity.
Any thoughts?
Last edited by Paddington; 21st Jun 2008 at 22:01.
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Paddington why do you think your employer has a duty to pay you to have children or put it another way why should you be paid by your employer when you are not working for them?
I cannot have children and so am I disadvantaged compared to you? What should I do to gain equality?
I cannot have children and so am I disadvantaged compared to you? What should I do to gain equality?
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Hi Working Hard,
I don't. I think the government (rather than individual companies) should pay a higher statutory maternity pay rate than £117 per week. Modern society encourages women into careers. Most couples have to have both partners working in order to afford the current cost of living. The government wants children to be healthy and well-adjusted. And yet many women will have no choice but to return to work after just 6 weeks. Not good for the child and hardly a encouraging a cohesive, family-orientated society.
I also feel that an employer should let the employee know what the maternity situation is. I've not received any information beyond a letter about normal leave whilst I'm grounded.
Personally, thankfully, I've now found out what's offered by my company/our government with just about enough time to save up for my maternity leave - we hope. So we should be able to save just enough to cover our mortgage whilst I'm off. But I find it hard to believe that anyone on a low income or single mothers would be able to save enough beforehand to cover current rent/mortgage rates whilst on maternity.
I'm sorry that you can't have children but does that mean that those who are lucky enough to be able to should be penalised? Or, rather, that their children should be penalised?
I don't. I think the government (rather than individual companies) should pay a higher statutory maternity pay rate than £117 per week. Modern society encourages women into careers. Most couples have to have both partners working in order to afford the current cost of living. The government wants children to be healthy and well-adjusted. And yet many women will have no choice but to return to work after just 6 weeks. Not good for the child and hardly a encouraging a cohesive, family-orientated society.
I also feel that an employer should let the employee know what the maternity situation is. I've not received any information beyond a letter about normal leave whilst I'm grounded.
Personally, thankfully, I've now found out what's offered by my company/our government with just about enough time to save up for my maternity leave - we hope. So we should be able to save just enough to cover our mortgage whilst I'm off. But I find it hard to believe that anyone on a low income or single mothers would be able to save enough beforehand to cover current rent/mortgage rates whilst on maternity.
I'm sorry that you can't have children but does that mean that those who are lucky enough to be able to should be penalised? Or, rather, that their children should be penalised?
Last edited by Paddington; 21st Jun 2008 at 20:30.
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Also, there seems to be an assumption that the husband/partner can bridge the gap. Sometimes, as in our case, the woman is the main earner. Now my going back to work after 6 weeks would be fine if my husband could breastfeed but I think that might be a little tricky! 
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paddington that was a very considered response and I would not wish you to think I was making any comments directed to you personally. I just find the overall nanny state a bit too much for my taste. If people "cannot afford the current cost of living" with only one income then perhpas the standards they are living need to be adjusted or hope and pray neither one fall ill or something. If a choice is made to have children knowing that one income will not support the current living standards then who should pay the shortfall? Where does one draw the line? Why should the taxpayer be expected to have a bottomless pocket?
As i said please do not take this personally, it is not intended to be so, just a point of view
As i said please do not take this personally, it is not intended to be so, just a point of view
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Thanks for your reply.
The current situation isn't ideal. With the government touting the benefits of a family-friendly society and a stable home environment it would make sense that, when someone decides to start a family, either the the family should (ideally) be able to live off the earnings of just one parent or else the government should help to make up some of the financial shortfall.
Unfortunately, as it stands, neither of those options is true; both my partner and I are higher tax band earners and yet we're going to find it difficult financially. Therefore it's very likely that the majority of this country's families must be in a similar situation. We don't expect hand-outs for the sake of having children but, at the very least, there needs to be some sort of provision to help us fill the money gap ourselves (either through early advice, overtime hours, or part-time hours after the birth) if the government or company won't. I've had no advice and I'm not allowed to work overtime before or part-time after the birth.
The current situation isn't ideal. With the government touting the benefits of a family-friendly society and a stable home environment it would make sense that, when someone decides to start a family, either the the family should (ideally) be able to live off the earnings of just one parent or else the government should help to make up some of the financial shortfall.
Unfortunately, as it stands, neither of those options is true; both my partner and I are higher tax band earners and yet we're going to find it difficult financially. Therefore it's very likely that the majority of this country's families must be in a similar situation. We don't expect hand-outs for the sake of having children but, at the very least, there needs to be some sort of provision to help us fill the money gap ourselves (either through early advice, overtime hours, or part-time hours after the birth) if the government or company won't. I've had no advice and I'm not allowed to work overtime before or part-time after the birth.
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Tumbleweedtown,
Your reply made me laugh. I can just picture the Cptn's face as I get the breast pump out at work And I'm not quite sure if breast milk gets through security's liquids' rule 
Your reply made me laugh. I can just picture the Cptn's face as I get the breast pump out at work
And I'm not quite sure if breast milk gets through security's liquids' rule
Puleeze. Do you own a house? do you own a car? do you go on vacation regularly? If you say "yes" to at least 2 of the above, please stop whinging. there are so many people who are worse off than you.
You should have known what you started with children, and who says your standard of living has to remain the same after starting a family?
I live in a country where maternity pay is up to EUR7500 per month. Even then the ladies still call to ask if they also get the car paid, since their employer used to do so. It is never really enough.
Think before acting. If your situation is really so dire, you either:
- should have thought of the consequences beforehand
- save some money
- get a partner with a better paying job
- lower your standard of living.
You'll of course came with numerous excuses, but honestly, get real.
You should have known what you started with children, and who says your standard of living has to remain the same after starting a family?
I live in a country where maternity pay is up to EUR7500 per month. Even then the ladies still call to ask if they also get the car paid, since their employer used to do so. It is never really enough.
Think before acting. If your situation is really so dire, you either:
- should have thought of the consequences beforehand
- save some money
- get a partner with a better paying job
- lower your standard of living.
You'll of course came with numerous excuses, but honestly, get real.
Last edited by ray cosmic; 21st Jun 2008 at 22:24.
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"there are so many people who are worse off than you."
That's one of my points - just put a little more directly than I did. I and my husband are a relatively high-earning, modestly spending couple who have one British/European holiday a year and share a very small, modest car between us that we avoid using wherever possible. If we will have to save very, very carefully for the next 6 months just to cover normal bills during my maternity leave, then how do lower income couples cope? Where's the safety net for them?
The government is encouraging women to breast-feed for at least 6 months and yet financially pushing them back into work after 6 weeks. It doesn't add up.
We will, of course, be trying to lower our standard of living over the next 6 months (as you quite rightly point out that we should) but there's not a huge amount that we can realistically cut back on - we're fairly frugal compared to many of my friends and colleagues.
My other point is that there was no information available to me on the company intranet about maternity benefits for flight crew. I was originally verbally misinformed so didn't start saving as early as hindsight would now suggest would have been sensible. It's all very well suggesting more careful planning but you need accurate information to start with. I'd like to raise awareness amongst other pilots so that they have time to plan ahead and save sufficiently.
Oh and I don't think I'll be swapping my partner quite yet thanks To choose a partner on the basis of their income isn't necessarily the best recipe for a happy marriage.
That's one of my points - just put a little more directly than I did. I and my husband are a relatively high-earning, modestly spending couple who have one British/European holiday a year and share a very small, modest car between us that we avoid using wherever possible. If we will have to save very, very carefully for the next 6 months just to cover normal bills during my maternity leave, then how do lower income couples cope? Where's the safety net for them?
The government is encouraging women to breast-feed for at least 6 months and yet financially pushing them back into work after 6 weeks. It doesn't add up.
We will, of course, be trying to lower our standard of living over the next 6 months (as you quite rightly point out that we should) but there's not a huge amount that we can realistically cut back on - we're fairly frugal compared to many of my friends and colleagues.
My other point is that there was no information available to me on the company intranet about maternity benefits for flight crew. I was originally verbally misinformed so didn't start saving as early as hindsight would now suggest would have been sensible. It's all very well suggesting more careful planning but you need accurate information to start with. I'd like to raise awareness amongst other pilots so that they have time to plan ahead and save sufficiently.
Oh and I don't think I'll be swapping my partner quite yet thanks
To choose a partner on the basis of their income isn't necessarily the best recipe for a happy marriage.
Sorry Paddington, I wrote a whole story, but it was just getting too philosophic. Thing is, getting and having kids is the challenge of a lifetime and only you are responsible for the outcome.
Now you got to figure out ways to manage. lower income families also manage. Simply because they have to. Because you are also not giving your £117 per week to that family down the street.
On another note, we had a colleague who actually did pump during duty; everything got nicely stored in the fridge which the company installed for her in the crewroom.
But do not despair, with you is a whole generation of women torn between family and career and who in the process lost the plot a bit, knowing even less what they want..
and yet we men have to simply "know" what you girls want
.
Anyway, good luck with your quest; you'll manage. You're not the first to start the family and my educated guess is you won't be the last, either.
Don't let the blues get you.
Now you got to figure out ways to manage. lower income families also manage. Simply because they have to. Because you are also not giving your £117 per week to that family down the street.
On another note, we had a colleague who actually did pump during duty; everything got nicely stored in the fridge which the company installed for her in the crewroom.
But do not despair, with you is a whole generation of women torn between family and career and who in the process lost the plot a bit, knowing even less what they want..
and yet we men have to simply "know" what you girls want.Anyway, good luck with your quest; you'll manage. You're not the first to start the family and my educated guess is you won't be the last, either.
Don't let the blues get you.
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To Paddington, I worked in Payroll and am not a pilot and nothing to do with aviation. The £117 after 6 weeks seems to be the minimum for statutory maternity pay I think you get it for something like 33 weeks might be longer. Check the HMRC website for full details.
The thing is that your company will be able to reclaim 92% of the smp that you are paid from the National Insurance they pay to the HMRC .
As others have said , you choose to have a family you must budget accordingly . Things are tight for everyone . All the best.
The thing is that your company will be able to reclaim 92% of the smp that you are paid from the National Insurance they pay to the HMRC .
As others have said , you choose to have a family you must budget accordingly . Things are tight for everyone . All the best.
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Paddington
Yes - your right there is apparently a major concern regarding explosive breast milk.
I have made enquiries and it would appear that one can, infact, take unlimited quantities of breast milk through security as long as it remains within said breasts.
There are no rules to say how much fluid you can take back 'out' through security in any receptacle you choose.
Just tell the Captain to get on with the crossword !
All the best.
Yes - your right there is apparently a major concern regarding explosive breast milk.
I have made enquiries and it would appear that one can, infact, take unlimited quantities of breast milk through security as long as it remains within said breasts.
There are no rules to say how much fluid you can take back 'out' through security in any receptacle you choose.
Just tell the Captain to get on with the crossword !
All the best.
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Paddington,
I'm the father of three young children (of course) and losing that second income (our choice) was a bloody nightmare so I understand your predicament. We made a lot of sacrifices, and I'm not just talking about changing to Tesco's wine. In the end though we did what we thought was best for the baby and that was (for the first eighteen months at least) to have its mother there 24/7.
I personally think that its a sad indictment of our society where this is now considered negotiable for the sake of a career.
Ok, that sounded really holier that thou and I apologise because you'll have worked bloody hard to get where you are, but you should prepare yourself for the reality that (depending on the bond you form with your child) when you hold that brand new life (that you made) in you arms, EVERYTHING will change.
Good luck and I hope it all works out
I'm the father of three young children (of course) and losing that second income (our choice) was a bloody nightmare so I understand your predicament. We made a lot of sacrifices, and I'm not just talking about changing to Tesco's wine. In the end though we did what we thought was best for the baby and that was (for the first eighteen months at least) to have its mother there 24/7.
I personally think that its a sad indictment of our society where this is now considered negotiable for the sake of a career.
Ok, that sounded really holier that thou and I apologise because you'll have worked bloody hard to get where you are, but you should prepare yourself for the reality that (depending on the bond you form with your child) when you hold that brand new life (that you made) in you arms, EVERYTHING will change.
Good luck and I hope it all works out
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guys, stop whinging
Go and study a bit of economic theory and you will realize that far from you 'subsidizing' those that have kids, the country as a whole benefits if there is good maternity / paternity provision. You may not think it, but you won't be able to retire unless another generation comes along, and many countries that have poor family economic policies (eg japan, italy) are in exactly that boat right now. Too many pensioners, not enough workers = big, big, big economic disaster. Maternity / paternity provision is not being made for altruistic reasons - you think gordon brown gives me tax breaks on my kids nursery fees for the hell of it!
Do a bit of googling and a bit of reading and you will find facts to back this up quite easily.
Paddington.
My wife and I are just financially coming out of the back end of having 2 kids - the 2nd one was 1 year old yesterday. My wife has a professional career, but had to take 2 six month bouts of statutory minimum maternity. Its painful and you can't make ends meet for 6 months, but bottom line is that its temporary. Have a good look at mortgage holidays and offset / flexible mortgages - worked for us!
And yes its worth it - should have seen the look on my boys face yesterday at his 1st birthday!
Go and study a bit of economic theory and you will realize that far from you 'subsidizing' those that have kids, the country as a whole benefits if there is good maternity / paternity provision. You may not think it, but you won't be able to retire unless another generation comes along, and many countries that have poor family economic policies (eg japan, italy) are in exactly that boat right now. Too many pensioners, not enough workers = big, big, big economic disaster. Maternity / paternity provision is not being made for altruistic reasons - you think gordon brown gives me tax breaks on my kids nursery fees for the hell of it!
Do a bit of googling and a bit of reading and you will find facts to back this up quite easily.
Paddington.
My wife and I are just financially coming out of the back end of having 2 kids - the 2nd one was 1 year old yesterday. My wife has a professional career, but had to take 2 six month bouts of statutory minimum maternity. Its painful and you can't make ends meet for 6 months, but bottom line is that its temporary. Have a good look at mortgage holidays and offset / flexible mortgages - worked for us!
And yes its worth it - should have seen the look on my boys face yesterday at his 1st birthday!
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I guess many of us here in the northern parts of Europe don't know how lucky we are. We get 12 months off with 80% of our pay. Most people tend to spread this over 18 months by taking a bit less every month. Mother gets 50% and father 50%. A maximium of four months can be given by one parent to the other.
Why don't you move here for a few years?
Why don't you move here for a few years?
757driver; it is the mentality problem that people don't know anymore how little they need to "survive" and not willing to find out by having kids.
Been there, trust me. Nobody said it would be easy, but at the same time it's a lesson for life. The state can't always pamper everyone.
Been there, trust me. Nobody said it would be easy, but at the same time it's a lesson for life. The state can't always pamper everyone.
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You will also be entitled to working tax credit which will help, I'm ground cabin crew in the same boat and no one tells you what your entitled to you need to go ask and look.
Depending on your situation working tax credit will help a lot and they will do a free calculation if you give them a call (mine worked out about £42 per week) but heard people getting a lot more.
Also found out 2 days ago about a NHS scheme set up called the aliment list (or similar) you register with your local pharmacy and when you or your baby need anything such as creams, cough bottle etc they will give it to you free of charge. It's to help with wasting doctors times for silly things, also if you and your partner are claiming working tax credit then he can get this service to.
I know £117 is not alot but better than a kick in teeth.
Depending on your situation working tax credit will help a lot and they will do a free calculation if you give them a call (mine worked out about £42 per week) but heard people getting a lot more.
Also found out 2 days ago about a NHS scheme set up called the aliment list (or similar) you register with your local pharmacy and when you or your baby need anything such as creams, cough bottle etc they will give it to you free of charge. It's to help with wasting doctors times for silly things, also if you and your partner are claiming working tax credit then he can get this service to.
I know £117 is not alot but better than a kick in teeth.
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757
If you think you are just coming out of the back end after 2 years, you have a lot of surprises to come. Try 25 years, and even that is probably dreaming. the problems and the costs don't reduce as they get older.
If you think you are just coming out of the back end after 2 years, you have a lot of surprises to come. Try 25 years, and even that is probably dreaming. the problems and the costs don't reduce as they get older.